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Reggie Rockstone (Reggie Osei) is referred to as the Godfather of hiplife and the one who is credited with its formation and rise, as well as its international face. His father, the late Ricci Osei, was a famous musician in Ghana. Rockstone was a popular dancer in his youth and also did some hip hop with PLZ (Parables, Linguistics and Zlang) in the UK.
Reggie Rockstone burst onto the scene in the 1980's as a dancer performing around Accra, New York and London. He is a trained actor and started rapping in the early 90's.
He joined PLZ (Parables, Linguistics and Zlang) with Fredi Funkstone, Jay (both from West Africa) & DJ Pogo of the U.K. They had hits like 'If it a'int PLZ' and 'Build a Wall Around Your Dreams'.
In 1994, he returned to Ghana and realised that the youth had been engulfed by hip hop but felt they did not understand the music as it was not in their own language and did not communicate issues dear to them. He decided to start rapping in Twi and christened this 'new genre' hiplife. Hiplife would be the marriage of the elements of hip hop and rap merged with the beats/instrumentals and tunes of Ghana's highlife music.
He released a debut album in 1997 after teasing the public with many singles. The album was called Maka a, maka (If I have said it, I have said it). He featured members of the PLZ, especially Fredi Funkstone as well as Cy Lover. He used his own label Kassa Records to market himself and this has followed through his career.
He went on to release Me na mekae (I was the one who said it) two years later. Shortly after, he followed it up with Mea (I will say it) in 2000 which has been his most popular LP to date. His music inspired a whole generation of hplife artistes and he is regarded the grandfather of hiplife and its first legend.
He released another album in 2004 and called it the Last Show which was supposed to be his final act. This album thrust his fame even further as he won a Kora award for Best African video, the first for any hiplife artiste. Since then, he has released countless singles including Chuku chaka with Beenie man, Peaches with Kweku T and Sway DaSafo as well as a single in which he proclaimed he did not steal anyone's car after an allegation against him surfaced in the media. He also made a track for the Black Stars' 2006 World Cup campaign.
He presently runs Kassa records that has produced other Ghanaian stars like Mensah, Kochoko and the Mobile Phone boys.
Some of his hit songs include Sweetie sweetie, Do that, Plan ben, Mr. Adwenbone, Medebebom, Mobile phone, Mmosuo, Chuku chaka, Nightlife in Accra, Sweetie Sweetie, Agoo, Agoro, My turn to bun, Mereka ama n'ahye wo, Plan ben, Peaches, Music hold my mind, etc
Reggie Rockstone's profile at Africanhiphop
Reggie Rockstone's profile at MySpace
Song lyrics
Makaa maka (1997)
Tsooboi
Meka (2000)
Keep your eyes on the road
Mapouka
Mensesa
Ohia nka mmaa
Where I'm from
Visa
Last show (2004)
Ah (fa me bone kye me)
Ahye me Ricci
Dabi dabi da
See an interview with Museke.com
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Hiplife: The True Definition; searching for the soul of the godfather
The roots of hiplife music has been associated with legends such as K. K. Kaboobo and Gyedu Blay-Ambollay way back in the 1980s, when they made highlife songs with fast flowing lyrics that resemble what was officially popularised by Reggie Rockstone in the 90’s (1997). Many refer to him as the “Godfather of Hiplife” because of this, and especially, because of the nature in which he executed his music style and its relevance today. However, it is still arguable for those who know their hiplife history so well. I may be wrong but don’t you remember as far back as early 1996, an underground hiplife artist called Mahonny P (aka Mahonnie P) had a number of hiplife tracks on some of the airwaves (radio)? This is way before Reggie took it to mainstream success. This may sound unbelievable or come to you as a shock, but I do remember a track that sounded like “Ebe ye yie nti mempe aba…” way back in early 1996 when I was preparing to sit for my final advance level (A’ level) exams. I believe some Presecans (Odadee): Riise House (5) will agree with me on this one. Charley! Please understand that I am not a “hater”, and neither do I intend robbing Reggie of his legacy, but I have an honest obligation to keep it real as a hiplifer. No doubt he will forever be the revolutionist of the art. And I’m proud of you, brother.
Anyway, as Reggie branded this new genre of Ghanaian music as hiplife, it was obviously understood as the fusion of our traditional highlife and western hip hop. Apparently, the name suggests a very simplistic definition and this is the reason why hiplife is not the same today. Charley, I don’t need to brag, but I have done my home work very well and that is why I am bringing it to your chest like an Asthma attack!! It is my wish and hope, that after reading this article you as a hiplifer will upgrade your horizon and see things with a deeper analytical approach. We as hiplifers should also learn to be sophisticated listeners in order not to accept any cheap imitations as hiplife music. Cha! This is our thing. We live it, breathe it and eat it. It is our “hiplifestyle”, so I guess it’s only right that I say it’s about time to take it back to what & where it is suppose to be.
The full article is here
ah was my fev,then chuku chakaa.i dont even know what to say, u are eceptional.
....like a great blowman aka jack aka hero :-D
so it seems Reggie Rockstone has a new album in the works. I thought his last album ever was the 'Last Show' but he can't seem to stay away from the game, and he's been making a lot of cameos in videos lately, especially 4x4's Hotgirls.com
The album will feature a lot of remixes and some new tracks, probably with the single, Peaches which features Ghana-British rapper, Sway. Apparently he has a track with Samini, which am personally looking forward to hearing.
Other collabos are with Beenie Man, D'Banj, 2face, Nat Brew, Nyega, Kweku T, D-Black, Sena, Obrafour (wait for real, the two biggest hiplife legends on one track?), Tinny, Mobile Boys (Kochoko), K.K Fosu, etc.
We'll be listening and on the lookout.
PS: you have to check the full article by Mega Don on Hiplife, scroll up to see.
Watch the Chuku Chaka video by Reggie Rockstone and Beenie Man
followed by the Nfana Ibaga remix video with Tuface Idibia featuring those two
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